My dad is a GREAT father in so many ways! But above it all there are 3 important things he taught me through his words and his actions...
1) Life is NOT fair! And isn't this the truth?! Whenever I would complain when I was young, my dad would remind me that life isn't fair- because of course, I was most likely complaining about something unimportant in the general scheme of things, and I am certain I was complaining that it isn't fair that so-and-so gets ________ when I don't... I'm sure you get the picture. So, my dad would invariably agree that whatever I was complaining about wasn't fair because 'life isn't fair'. In the moment, I DID NOT like the answer, but I couldn't argue with the logic at all. This was NOT the answer I had gone to my dad to receive, but it is just what I needed to hear and to learn!
So many years later and so very many things I could complain about- getting divorced, being a single mom for all of those years, having a lower paying job, Luke's health struggles- but I did learn that life is not fair. It is glorious! It's 'not fair', in a sense, that I was able to get out of a bad situation for myself and my children, that I was able to have so much time with my children with so many great people helping us along, that I have a job that means so much to myself and so many incredible young people, that I have an amazingly kind and caring husband who needs my support in life! I am so glad that I learned that life is not fair, or I may have learned to focus on so many negative things while being surrounded by so many great things! I may have missed seeing the glorious!
2) Hard work = Being happy! My dad has always worked hard! He was a public school teacher when I was young. So, he spent many nights and all of his summers working extra hours, extra jobs to earn enough for our family. In his 'spare' time, my dad gave hours to church service, traveling 1/2 hour each way every time he had to go to our church building. Plus he found time to teach his children how to work hard! We planted and tended a HUGE garden (think almost 1000 gladiola bulbs plus fruit and veg to store for the winter huge!), learned to care for bees, sold gladiolas and honey at the local farmer's market, harvested wild grapes for juice, and learned to hunt mushrooms safely.
Some of my best memories are working in the garden, harvesting those grapes, working at the farmer's market, church service like boy scout meetings with my dad! Yes, we did have vacations, but the times spent working with my dad are also the happy memories! Working hard does mean making happy memories!
3) I AM LOVED, ALWAYS and FOREVER! I know without a doubt that my dad loves me! The times I have done something wrong, he would listen patiently, tell me he loved me, and then show me his love through an equitable solution to the problem I had created. The times I needed a shoulder to cry on, he would listen and then simply love me, telling me that I could get through whatever the challenge. He has allowed me to try things and fail while loving me. He has allowed me to try things and succeed while loving me.
My dad will always be there for me and will always love me. Because of my dad, I also know that my Father in Heaven loves me, always and forever!
I have the best dad!!!
And I think my granddaughters have some pretty great dads too!
